Western Force have kicked off their five-week development tour of the UK on a winning note, notching a 25-15 victory over English Premiership outfit Newcastle Falcons in slippery conditions at Kingston Park on Friday night.

The home side raced out to an 8-0 lead before the Force kicked into gear, with a clever kick by flyhalf James O'Connor and a break by World Cup Wallaby Scott Staniforth resulting in Matt Hodgson crossing the line in the 39th minute.

Trailing 8-5 at the break, the Force took control in the second half courtesy of a double to centre Junior Pelesasa and cool kicking from O'Connor, who finished the match with two conversions and two penalty goals.

Force coach John Mitchell said he was pleased with the win but was concerned about the first-half performance.

"We started off slowly, the ground was heavy and there was no pressure for the first 20 minutes," Mitchell said.

"The pressure then started to build which paid dividends for us.

"We had a great, youthful team out there which leaves me with hope. I wanted to look at new combinations and everyone was enthusiastic.

"The level of rugby here is good. The game of rugby here is different to what we play in the Southern Hemisphere. (It features) a lot more physicality and I think that we met that with Newcastle."

The Force will play three more Premiership outfits and two regional academy sides in the remainder of the tour, with their next outing against Saracens Academy on August 12.

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